Grab your calendar and take notes as we bring you our Top 5 Central Station during GI2012:

Everything Flows
Patricial Fleming Projects
Patricia Fleming Projects presents ‘Everything Flows‘ Glasgow Artists/Musicians. Their Art and Recordings 1990 – 2010. This limited edition EP will comprise a selection of the outstanding ‘experimental art into music and performance’ scene growing from the Glasgow visual art sector over the last twenty years. The EP will present artists, their music and musical influences together for the first time.
20 Apr – 5 May | Tue – Sun, 2.30 – 6.30pm | Queens Park Railway Club

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The Mutual Charter
A campaign-style build up of events and online content as marked the progress of 14 simultaneous international projects created by members of The Mutual: an artists’ co-operative comprised of more than 150 early career creative practitioners. These projects will surface throughout the festival at various public and private venues and will be united in a publication launched at the end of the festival.
20 Apr – 7 May | see site for details

Keep an eye out for Packing And Mourning, a project by Penny Anderson, Eija Hirvonen, Shelton Walker and Youngjoo Yoo, previously featured on the site. You can see it at St Judes Hotel. Here’s the listing.

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RECORD STORE
For World Record Store Day 2012 (21st April) and to coincide with GI (Glasgow International Festival of Visual Arts), Monorail Records will be hosting an exhibition curated by visual artists Chris Biddlecombe and Janie Nicoll. This installation is the result of a collaborative project involving the creation of approximately twenty record cover artworks created by a wide range of Scottish artists, each of whom have a strong interest in or connection to music making; artists who have been in bands, who DJ, or who use music as a theme in their art making practice.
20 Apr -  May | Monorail Records
[Preview: 19 April | 6 - 8pm | Monorail Records]

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Field Office
An exhibition by first year Masters students from Valand School of Fine Arts, Gothenburg, Sweden. Field Office combines a space for showing work and a place for doing work. With an understanding of a field office functioning as an outpost for a series of explorations, conducted as fieldwork within the city, it serves as platform for a series of individual and collaborative art works and events, surveying, passing through and engaging with Glasgow. Coinciding with the Glasgow International Festival, the project connects with this event while also extending into Glasgow’s local art scene.
26th Apr – 7 May | see site for times | Repositioned
[Opening night 25 April - DJ set from Belle and Sebastian]

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Nothing About Us Without Us Is For Us
A public art event using obsolete technology to hurl language across Glasgow’s river Clyde. Led by Matt Baker & t s Beall, as part of Glasgow International Festival Visual Art 2012. It’s described as a sort of action / happening / community celebration / anti-festival. It is preceded by lots of workshops and tours that involve different groups of folk and institutions in and around Govan. There are around 20 workshops and events in total – some of which are organised for specific groups, and others which are open to the public. See the individual event listings here.
20 Apr – 1 May | See site for specific events | Around Govan

Tell us about any shows, exhibitions, gigs, things of interest that you have on during GI 2012. It doesn’t have to be on the “official” GI2012 programme to grab our attention.

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See more Top 5′s selected from the network here.

‘I am sure we’ll see some day. We are here waiting for you.’

Packing and Mourning is a project about departure, journeys, the destination, and arrival.

The life of any artist involves travelling and moving, and in turn the unavoidable but complex necessity of safely packing and storing belongings, while mourning the loss of friends made but revelling in the excitement of the new possibilities created on arrival. Our blog documents the thrill of departure, the best way to pack, the nature of transit, sadness of leaving and the impact of place on work produced.

Four artists: Penny Anderson (via Manchester England, Bilbao Spain and Berlin Germany) Eija Hirvonen (via Oulu Finland and Kracow Poland) Shelton Walker (via Copenhagen, Denmark, New York and Virginia USA) and Youngjoo Yoo (via Seoul South Korea, London England and Bilbao Spain) document the process of living, leaving and being drawn back to Glasgow, where they will show work based on their experiences of packing, mourning and moving on as part GI 2012 courtesy of The Mutual Charter.

The artists involved have in common frequent relocations, as tourists, visitors, travellers and artists. The title emerged as I texted Eija to say goodbye as she reluctantly left Glasgow. When asked what she was doing, Eija replied: “I am packing and mourning.”

Some of the artists have met only briefly (if at all) but readily agreed to work together. Meanwhile we are all slowly returning to Glasgow for an exhibition of work inspired by our travels and the blog we have been writing.

Visit the Packing and Morning blog here.
Follow Packing and Mourning on Twitter here.

We came up with the idea for The Hidden Noise over a long series of conversations about the exciting way that many artists experiment with other so-called disciplines and vice versa. We were interested in the way that some practitioners for example, musicians, filmmaker and designers, are often recognised for a single facet of their practice, yet have created some fascinating and beautiful work beyond this. From a historical perspective, it was interesting to examine how these departures have influenced today’s artists (used in it’s broadest sense), and to try to have some fun with those connections.

Also, on a more personal level, the desire to do the project comes from both of us wanting to try something new, in as independent a way as possible – again going back to this idea of departure I suppose. Sandra has an impressive history of organising exhibitions for large and/or public spaces, with the constraints that naturally come with that sector, Shireen has been inclined in a number of low-key projects and supportive roles and so was ready for a new challenge.

We spent a long time looking for a space, several times finding something with good potential, which fell through due to time constraints. The familiar chicken and egg situation of devising a project well enough to apply for funding, and waiting for those funds to be granted, meant that a few opportunities were missed. Commercial premises offered little that we could afford, especially considering the work required to bring them to safe and presentable standards. Eventually we found an amazing bright flat in the west end, which answered all our requirements and more. It’s meant that we can have a bit of a play with the spaces adjoining the allocated ‘gallery’ rooms, including inviting Danny Holcroft and Ragnar Jonasson to set up their Tender Bar project in residence in the space.

We had been talking to Clare Stephenson and Sophie Macpherson about doing something in response to their recent collaborative performance Shoplifters Shopgirls at Tramway. Both artists felt that the performance presented them with a lot of new questions about their work, both as individuals, in relation to each other and the broader artistic community. For the inaugural show House of Yvonne, they have both returned to their individual practices, responding to these questions, as well as the nature of the domestic space, fashion and the other works in the show by Kenneth Anger and Colin Self. Much of the show came together on good faith, and it’s really paid off. Which just goes to show, it’s worth taking a risk sometimes.

The programme only runs for four months, and is quite tightly packed. We really wanted to use it to try out new ideas, and to examine our own practice as curators, as well as creating a space where the artists involved can reflect and respond to their own work. Having the guys from the Tender Bar there really helps to slow down people’s visits to the space, and we expect to be organising a number of fairly improvised events, which will allow artists and audience to respond to the project/s. Ultimately what we’re hoping is that the project will provide an opportunity to develop new ideas in a relaxed yet critical environment.

We’re not officially affiliated with GI, but will be open in conjunction with the main program, as we expect a number of other venues will also. If we can provide an interesting and space to reflect on the multitude of work in the city at that time, then I think that would make us very happy.

5/3  Radius in Motion

Actually I’ve left off half way through 5/2. As I’m walking back from Govan, I surrender that I am indeed not going to see everything; I ask myself if have I enjoyed this project?

My answer to that was to stop in to Vestiges park, grab some blue clay, sit on a bench marked number 12 on the park map and listen to my last sound work of the festival while I make my own wee creature to add to the mix.

Vestiges Park was a highlight; it was fun, and well put together.

I enjoyed my last day in the field of the festival by attending the Le Drapeau noir Closing party. Raydale Dower played the obo while accompanied by other musicians.

I thought by having a little rest before I wrote my final blog would help me re charge my battery, but it hasn’t really. The festival is over and I’m glad. I did enjoy it, I love art and I would never miss the opportunity to see it when it’s on my doorstep.

It’s the best tool to challenge the mind and keep the cogs turning.

One thing that has bothered me and is still haunting me is all these whispers about anti-GI sentiment. The truth is the festival has only inspired me since 2004. I’m not sure why this year was different; I’ve only been an audience up until now. Diversity is important and that is all I’m going to say about the festival.

Central Station made a huge difference by acknowledging the project. I suppose it’s difficult to tell if what you have contributed is worthy of being viewed. I have met a lot of people, seen a lot of spaces, places and happenings I never would have, I have been engaged, inspired and exhausted.

It has forced me to look at where I live and see it in a different way, on multiple levels. It has reminded me that making the effort and being engaged in what is happening is worth the effort.

I still need time to process all the work and the experience itself but I will keep it until I am ready to purge.

A huge Thanks to Central Station, The Skinny, all the participants in Radius, (including designers, artists, volunteers who helped make it happen) Atypical Root, and  the Gi Festival. I’ll see ya round.

Best,

Stephanie

We have checked protocol with the police and if someone has nicked one we can put a lock on the bike thus asking the thief to remove their security (timescale unspecified) before cracking open their lock and liberating the bike. Otherwise we could get done for wanton damage of private property!

So keep letting us know if you spot any; apparently two have been seen in Germany and one in London already… oh the life of international crime….

After a gap we will rebrand the remaining bikes and donate them to suitable charities and local beneficiaries, so contact us if you think of a deserving organisation. We have already had some informal chats about doing it again in the future (perhaps we will help people make the bikes next time) and it is testament to the strength of the original idea that it has sparked such interest.

Schema at the Che Camille venue,  Good Gallery, Pecha Kucha, Tent to Ten on Dixon St.

The White bikes! Le Drapeau Noir!!! Susane Philipsz! Modern Terra! The Glue Factory!

It has been really hard work to try to see everything. Today my goal is t see Tramway the Duchy gallery and Market Gallery followed by a performance at Le Drapeau Noir by Diane Torr.

There really is nothing like seeing art first hand. I have met a lot of people that have been so busy with their own projects that they haven’t had time to see anything. Make time People! Put it in your diary and just make yourself go. You won’t regret it even if you don’t like it in the end, you learn a lot by talking constructively about something you thought was poor. At least I do.

where are the bikes?  who is using them?  are they living overnight at gi festival venues?  there have been reports of people locking them up with their own padlocks, rendering them useless to a potential user, and therefore effectively stealing them out of circulation.  we are thrilled by the way the whitebike plan has fired the imagination of all festival goers, but we want them to remain in the use of the public and unleashed from personal padlocks.  a plea to all; return those bikes that have been pilfered and purloined so that we can all use, enjoy, benefit.

a few questions that have been suggested are:

would you consider painting your own bike white, and leave it around for public use?

would you sign up to a year-long scheme for bike sharing?

where are you going today on your bike (or where have you been)?

how can we make this (the white bike plan) happen?

any answers put them here.  or any new questions feel free to add them!

there are fabulous photos of the ride out and bikes in action cropping up on central station images, nva website, facebook, gifestival flickr site, twitter to name a few.  go search and find them and add yours too!

The Dark Town Cakewalk

Real Discoveries Unexpected Realities

Joseph Beuys

Real Discoveries Unexpected Realities

Bridgeland

More Cakewalk

It was an intense way to start the day, but I’m glad that I went to see the thirteen-hour collage performance at the Arches. I arrived to see the end of act one and the beginning of act two.

Surreal, erotically charged children’s games filled with petting, pointing moving in unpredictable gyrating patterns, shifting, jarring, teasing, jerking, rubbing, laughing, moaning not to mention sequence, plastic, cake, shaving foam, razors, gags, frills, petticoats, breasticles , scarves, roses, microphones thumping, groaning, beating, blaring residual feedback, playful, menacing, dark, sexual, sensual, unpredictable shifting, confrontational, spontaneous improvisational endurance performance.

It was mesmerizing and one hour turned into three until I realized I really needed to walk away. It was too intense to take it all in, the audience could come and go as they pleased or needed.

I went to see Real Discoveries Unexpected Realities  319 by Helena Ohman McCardle. It was at Glasgow University in the Mcmillan Reading Room.   What made this work quite interesting was seeing the Joseph Beuys exhibit in the Huntarian and the What Science Could not Tell Us in the Boyd Orr building by Victoria Skogsberg.

These three exhibitions all relate to content of mystic, storytelling, things that aren’t real or things we perceive not to be real. The Joseph Beuys fat chair is more an artefact now than an artwork, but he was such an influential and historically important artist, it was really refreshing to see the two video works that are situated on either side of the Huntarian Gallery.

You can see Real Discoveries Unexpected Realities one more day Friday April 30^th.

‘Welcome to Bridgeland’ was a ceremonial opening of Bridgeland, taking place on the South Portland St Suspension Bridge on April 23rd for GI 2010. With local collaborators Guy Veale and Dave Tunstall, artist Jodi Rose conducted a site-specific musical performance and celebration to bridge sounds.

It was ok. I was a little disappointed but I think the project is an ethereal concept that uses the performance to inspire ideas about… well conceptual bridges.

I then went back to Cakewalk, I really wanted to stay for the end but I was exhausted. If you didn’t get a chance to see this epic performance I think you missed something.

Well its been an upside down week since we launched the White Bike Plan on a sunny day last Thursday. There is a Baltic chill in the air, my family are all still stuck in Lanzarote care of Ryan Air, who make Thatcher look like the good samaritan.  Never have I abstractedly hated a company more and their ethos of treating customers as little more than ‘dirt with wallets’. If there was a god, that shower of shit and their vile little leader would have had their come-uppance long ago!

I only share this small rant as I suppose their ethos is so diametrically opposed to what the White Bike Plan stands for. Of course, we will never have major impact on the world or bring joy or misery to millions, but in a way I believe its better to be small in your impact but have a shred of idealism left…

Meanwhile I haven’t been back on a bike because my legs are not actually functioning after running Lochaber marathon at the week-end. Although I trained for up to 50 miles a week through the winter I was still physically destroyed after crossing the line in 3hours 30mins. It’s amazing how your mind must edit out the pain memories from previous races. I couldn’t believe that so many muscles can be sore for so long. Right, I need to get a grip; this is turning into a blog moan. I am walking again and went in search of a bike this morning I spotted last night, but it had gone. I even had a Dutch white bike sweatshirt on so if I had to confront someone I could just show them my logo without confrontation and ride the bike back to the hub in Miller St. But word is, the bikes are out and about and holding up well and being well used. The footage and images on Vimeo, Facebook, YouTube are stunning and a great record of the action. It really has worked as a form of democratic art representation.

I think on the final week-end of the festival we should do a massive call-out to all the good hearted people of Glasgow to track down the 50 bikes so we can get them back in one piece to re-distribute to deserving community groups and local programmes across the city.

I finally realised tweeting has a purpose as there has been ##KA##a great campaign with people tracking down and spotting bikes in unusual places. Joe at Gear who built them for us had a nice story, a wee boy from the local primary school came in to see him, his sister’s bike had been stolen, so he wondered if he could have one of the “free” bikes to give to her. On that happy note, adieu.

Angus

Photo: Alaisdair Smith

21/4 Radiuses in Motion

Spiel David Noonan Mitchell library

The long Loch: How do We Go On From Here? Faith Wilding and Kate Davis

Subject to Change without notice: Will Foster and Guyan Porter Intermedia

Rough Luxe 102 hope st. Mair Hughes, Yvonne Mullock and Salomeh Grace

Passages Street level film screening

Le Drapeau Noir

A great day of art and happenings that could only happen through the festival. 

The Mitchell library was my first stop, Speil by David Noonan.

An incredibly elegant and vast space is turned into a set by the sculptural work and installation of Noonan. It’s deceivingly simple, and has a playfulness that is elegant and effortless. I couldn’t help but feeling that a giant hand was hovering somewhere near by to move the objects around as if it could be rearranged at any given moment.

There is anticipation; potential energy to this work that makes me want to go back and see it again. There is a great small catalogue published by Washington Garcia with an interview between Kenall Koppe and Alhena Katsof that adds to the knowledge and experience of the work. £2

There is a film screening on Monday the 26 of April The Rite of Ingmar Bergman at 18:00. Free I hope I can make it.

The long Loch: How do We Go On From Here? I have been following Kate Davis since she did an exhibition for the 2008 GI. It was the first seemingly feminist art that I had seen in Glasgow since moving to here in 2005. She did a residency at Cove Park where she was in email dialogue with Faith Wilding. This current exhibition has grown from that. The thing I think is important about this work as that it is examining and considering past, present and future states of the subject of feminism. The exhibition feels more like a platform than something that exists as a successfully independent exhibition without considering all the research, conversations and invitations to participate.  I was slightly disappointed with the show as a exhibit on it’s own, but feel quite happy that Davis and Wilding have started something that I think will continue to grow and include people as it develops.

Subject to Change without notice: Will Foster and Guyan Porter Intermedia

I was sceptical when I walked in, very black and white room that also resembles the semblance of an office. There was lively discussion happening and the freedom to walk around. Porter and Foster have taken up residency in Intermedia gallery examining the fine print. The more I think about the concept and activity the more I like it. I was able to speak to both artists and understand ask questions, this isn’t always the case. It’s only on till next weds, so have a go.

Rough Luxe 102 hope st. Mair Hughes, Yvonne Mullock and Salomeh Grace

This was a great “not what you expect” kind of experience. 102 Hope st. looks like a very sophisticated building when you walk up the stairs. Then you enter the exhibition and it’s all sensory overload with an extreme landscape shift. These three artists have put together a temporary installation that showcases their own work without competing with each other. These Glasgow based artist are quite different from each other, they have composed an intriguing depth of content. Two thumbs up, it’s worth having a look and don’t forget to inhale. I’m not entirely sure about the hay but it is a material that conjures specific memories and scenarios.

Passages Street level film screening

I really enjoyed this event. Reliving film that was made in the 80’s and 90’s was surprisingly refreshing and captivating. Louise Crawford, Richard Crompton, Deitch,

Simon Fildes, Shaz Kerr and Bert Ross are all Scottish artists. The work itself was poetic and timeless to me I hope street Level makes this a regular thing; G-Mac has a great screening room with huge seats and beautiful screening wall. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks Malcom.

Le Drapeau Noir

This is a wonderful place to meet up have a drink meet interesting people catch a performance and well if you were me get dressed in a seal costume and do a little pole dancing. I met Urara Tsuchiya, a Japanese artist currently living in London; She caught my eye, as she was wearing a gold jumpsuit and a fur hat, shiny and fury the perfect combination. She did a Nudist Sewing Workshop on Tuesday the 20^th (that I missed) as a part of the  Le Drapeau Noir performance program. As we chatted she sowed me some documentation photos and said she had more costumes “Should she show me” One thing led to another and low and behold I was having a dance in a Seal Suit.  Great Fun! Only could this happen at an art Festival, in a special venue with eclectic and interesting people.

Their program has something on every evening until May2 starting about 7:30 you can just go for a drink and enjoy the installed digital clock by Torsten Lauschmann.

Open from 5-11. Don’t miss it!